


What Stars Do Best

by naarna



Series: Dramione Remix [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death In Dream, Community: dramione_remix, Denial of Feelings, Dream Adventure, F/M, Genderbending, Minor Character Death, Pirates, Remix, Stardust - Freeform, Stars, Unicorns, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:43:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naarna/pseuds/naarna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione's and Draco's friends have grown desperate enough to try the newest invention of the Weasley twins that let's you play through a story in your dream. The friends all agree that they both need a big push, so they decide to let them act out a dream based on a story they know Hermione liked - Stardust - and hope for the best...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stardust](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/220777) by Neil Gaiman. 



> This story is based on the pairing Yvaine/Tristan from the film "Stardust" and their journey through the magical kingdom of Stormhold. In the original story, Tristan promises to bring a piece of the falling star back to the girl he loves so that she would marry him; Yvaine is the fallen star, unhappy to have been shot from the sky. They start out bickering, but eventually find to each other over the course of the journey...
> 
> Thanks to Ashley (consultingcriminal on H&V) for beta reading my Remix stories - the corrections and the feedback are highly appreciated! :-)

**Reality: Zabini's Place**  
“And you think this is a good idea?”

“Yes. What else can we try?”

“He's right, you know? They are driving everyone crazy. It's always _Malfoy that_ -”

“-or _Granger this_. Merlin's balls, yes.”

“True. It's just that the twins haven't really tested that product yet.”

“Hey, my brothers have tested that extensively on themselves. And they wouldn't let us use it if it could harm _her_.”

“But did have to be that dream especially? I mean, according to the story, and the twins, I'm playing a homicidal prince in it that gets killed in the end-”

“At least you survive until the end, so shut up, _brother_.”

“Hey, I got the worst part in it all. I'm playing the jerk her character is in love with at the beginning. I'm not a jerk.”

“But you can be a bit insensitive, that's all I'm saying. Maybe you should ask your brothers why they cast you like that?”

“I might just do that. Especially since they think it's funny I should end up with Lavender, _of all people!_ ”

“Okay, we should let them sleep now...”

 

 **Dream: Landing in a crater**  
“Get off me, Granger!”

Hermione groaned and looked up. “Oh God!” She realised quickly that she was lying on Malfoy, that insufferable blond git that made her working day always so annoyingly complicated. Why again did she always have to work with him? And why did she even have to share an office with him? With another annoyed groan and a swift movement, she pushed herself off him. “What are you doing here?”

“Question should be: why are we both here? Look around.” Draco propped himself up into a seating position.

“We're in a crater. A really big one.” Yes, the surroundings looked rather similar to a story by a Muggle author she had read years ago. And then she saw a script roll lying next to them; she took it up to open it, and found a candle stump hidden it.

 

_Dear friends,_

_this dream has been created especially for you._

_Your goal is to bring the star – that's you, Draco – to the village of Wall, as Hermione's character has promised to do so for her loved one's hand in marriage._

_There are a few things that you will need to keep in mind:_

  1. _Keep the ruby ring safe that should lie in your vicinity. The gem is of great importance to your journey._

  2. _Your usual magical powers don't work in this dream. You ARE in a magical world, but not in our own usual wizarding world. Stars can shine, though._

  3. _Be careful who you trust, stars are a much sought-after treasure. Or rather their hearts are. (Though we're not sure that you have one, Draco)_

  4. _The attached magical candle can be used once. Be sure when to use it.  
_




_See you at the other end of your dream, in the hope you both have learned something from it._

_Your suffering friends_

 

“What do they mean, I'm a star?”

“You know the things to pop up in the night sky?” Hermione retorted and folded the roll to put it away in her pockets. “Oh please. Do I have to wear a dress that has no pockets?”

“At least looks better than those prudish clothes you put on for work. Seriously, Granger, you're not some old lady, why dress like one?”

“Why do you care what I wear?”

“Because I don't want to look like an idiot when teamed up with you! You may have a big brain, but you lack any sense of fashion, Granger!”

Hermione growled. “I don't care about fashion-”

“I noticed.”

With a glare, Hermione finally got up. She decided to ignore his comments, as any continued argument would only prolong their stay in this dream endlessly. She had heard about those Weasley Dreams, the twins had boasted often enough about them, and you had to go through the whole story to get out of it again. The sooner they reach their destination, the sooner she could get away from Malfoy. “Ah there's that ring. And I think, in the original story, the star was supposed to be a woman... Our friends probably didn't think of that when they turned you into a star.” She didn't even bother to contain her giggle; Malfoy in a woman's robe was just too funny.

“Oh, for Merlin's bloody balls' sake!” Draco swore when he realised that he was indeed wearing a woman's robe. “They are going to pay for that bloody joke!”

“No, seriously, looks good on you.”

“Shut it.” He glared at her, and then got up as well. “Ouch.”

“Ah, yes. The star has a sprained ankle in the beginning.”

“Not funny,” he huffed, trying to put his weight on his other ankle. “Does the note say where we have to go next?”

Hermione shook her head. “No. And as far as I remember, the original story doesn't give any directions either. They just start walking.” Folding the note from her friends a bit smaller, she managed to put it away in her cleavage, the candle stump as well; her friends at least could've thought about adding a small purse to her outfit, but this might work for the moment. And she hoped she remembered enough of the story to get to their destination without having him killed; his teasing at work was already bad enough, she didn't want to have his dream death added to it.

“You've read everything, have you?”

“Of course. I don't need to rely on good looks like you to get anywhere,” she retorted. “And it might save your arse this time as well.” She checked him once more, still chuckling lightly at the sight of him in that woman's robe. Either her friends didn't realise that mistake, or they left it that way as a joke.

“Stop laughing!”

“Now, can you walk with that ankle?” she then asked, still grinning.

He huffed, and tried a few steps, then indicated with a nod that it might be okay for a while. “Yes. I just want to get out of that dream already.”

“Let's go then. I want it over too.”

 

 **At a crossroad**  
“Are you sure we're walking in the right direction?” Draco asked, trying to keep up with Hermione's determined speed while ignoring his injured ankle.

“Yes.”

“Sure? Because it does look like we're walking in circles-”

“I just do, okay? Or have you read the book?” Hermione rebuffed, sounding irritated that he questioned her knowledge. “Look, the book mentions a forest, and we are currently walking through one.”

“Hey, I don't care that much about Muggle authors, anyway. It's just that I think we've been through that clearing before.”

“How would you know that?” Hermione stopped, somewhat curious as to why he would say that.

“See that tree over there?” He pointed over to an old gnarly-looking tree that seemed to mark a crossroad, and then winced when he put his weight on his sprained ankle again. He definitely wouldn't mind a break now. “We took the path to its left when we first passed it, and look where we ended up.”

“You sure we took the path to the left?”

“Yes.” He sighed in slight exasperation, and then yawned. “I need a break.”

“Already tired? I thought you could go on endlessly-”

“Shut it,” he growled. There was no need to discuss _those_ things with her. And non-existent things at that, thanks to _her,_ because she was just bloody everywhere in his life, even in his dreams and fantasies. “I just need a break, we've been walking for hours and my ankle is _still_ injured, remember?”

“It's midday, Malfoy, how can you be tired now?”

He didn't grace her with a retort, and simply sat down at the base of the gnarly-looking tree. “This is much better...”

“I thought you wanted to get it over with as fast as we could?”

“Come on, Granger, even you must be tired.” He yawned again; at least his ankle felt less strained. “And after all, I'm a star, and those are supposed to be awake at night, not during day.”

She sighed. “Actually, Malfoy, stars in the sky are just balls of gas, or even planets, they don't ever sleep. The sun just outshines them during day. _You_ can't be tired.”

He grinned; he had won that argument because she would resort to state facts like that whenever she was losing the argument, she just couldn't lose. “Well, this isn't the real world, is it? So...” And not caring about any further comments from her, he made himself comfortable leaning against the tree for a couple of hours of sleep.

“Good, behave like an idiot then. I would have requested to make a stop at the next village for food and rest, but since you insist...” She shrugged and turned around to follow the path on the right side of the tree. “Just don't walk away, you know what the note said.”

“Yeah, 'be careful who you trust', could mean I shouldn't trust you, now does it?”

“You idiot. You really need to read the book then. I just mean, stay here, I'm going to look for some food.”

 

A while later, the sun was starting to sink behind the horizon, Draco was woken from his nice little slumber, and found a unicorn standing in front of him. A unicorn of all things magical. “What do you want?”

But the unicorn only gently flared its nostrils, and nodded his head towards its back.

“Really? You want me to hop on your back? And where are you supposed to bring me?”

The unicorn pointed to its back again.

“Hmm. A unicorn is supposed to be one of those _pure_ and _good_ things. I'm sure Granger would just love the opportunity to ride one, so why not?” He got up, and hissed when he slowly put his weight on his injured ankle. But a few minutes later, he was finally seated on the back of the unicorn, which wasn't so completely different from sitting on a broom, except for maybe the broader sitting area. “Okay, let's go then.”

 

“Of course! Never trust Malfoy to just do for once what he is told!” Hermione let out when she came back to the tree, after having found a place that would let them have some food; it was dark now, and stars most definitely awake. But she should have known, after all, in the original story, the star did disappear at this point of the story. She just hoped he was still okay, halfway remembering what was supposed to come next. But what was her part now? And then she remembered when she heard the sound of a coach approaching. Of course, the bloody coach, she had to get on it...

 

The unicorn brought Draco to a small inn at another crossroad a bit outside the forest. It was fully dark now, and the stars were coming out in the sky. “This looks like a decent place...” He carefully slid off the unicorn's back. “And thanks from saving me from that annoying know-it-all. And she's says she's read the book. As if.” He knocked at the door of the inn.

The door opened, and a surprisingly familiar face surrounded by black hair and a warm smile on her lips appeared. “Well, hello, my dear. Do come in before the rain starts; it isn't too far off anymore.”

Draco was still thinking about where he had seen that face before, and so missed the glare she threw at the unicorn behind him before she stepped aside to let him enter.

“I'll let my help take care of your beautiful horse. And you look like you could need a good hot bath.”

“Ooh yes! I could definitely do with one. And a fresh, better fitting set of clothes...”

“I'll see what I can do about that.” She led him to a table, where she beckoned him to sit down. “Why not have a meal while I let the tub be filled?”

 

“Stop! I need a lift!” Hermione jumped in front of the black coach that was pulled by four black majestic horses, hoping that she wouldn't be run over.

“What in the kingdom's name are you trying to do here? Kill yourself?” A head popped out of the coach's window.

“Bl-Blaise?” Hermione was surprised for a moment. Of course, the twins would cast their friends in the roles, and Blaise was perfect for the role of one of the princes; however, she wondered who the second surviving prince was going to be... “My lord, I need a lift to the next village,” she finally said, and even hinted at a bow.

“Has my brother sent you?” Blaise left the coach, visibly irritated that he was blocked from continuing his important journey, and drew his sword to point it at her. “Who are you?”

“I don't know your brother, and I couldn't care less what quarrels you have with him. I just need a lift to the next village. A life might depend on it.” She lifted her arms to show that she didn't mean to attack him. “Look, I'm just a girl, completely unarmed. I'm just trying to find someone before he is hurt, or worse, killed. Please, take me with you.”

He eyed her for a moment. “Yes, you do look harmless, but you do know who are speaking to, right? I'm on a quest of enormous importance-”

“Then you could surely use a second pair of hands, you never know when that could come in handy. Please...” Hermione had to concentrate a bit not to laugh at the sight of Blaise playing one of the princes of this magical kingdom.

“Okay, you don't seem to be a threat. Get on, then.” He pointed at the coach, and sheathed his sword again.

 

“Looks like the water is doing wonders in your case. You look much better.” The black-haired innkeeper mentioned, while she brought in some more hot water to refill the tub. “But your ankle still looks bad. Sprained it?”

Draco nodded; he leaned back in the tub, and looked at her for a moment. “Rather unlucky landing," he then replied with a contented sigh. Merlin, that bath was wonderful! He had already started to relax, basically forgetting that he was on a task with Hermione to find a way as soon as possible to get out of that dream again. No, this moment was way too relaxing for any thoughts on that matter!

“Just let me help you with that ankle.” She gently waved her finger in the water, letting her sort of magic heal the injured joint, and smiled when he started to glow faintly.

Draco noticed how his ankle immediately felt better. Yes, that's how he was supposed to be treated, not being dragged along for hours with an injured ankle. He sighed contentedly, and suddenly remembered where he had seen a similar face before – she looked suspiciously like Pansy. Merlin, she always knew how to take care of his needs; there was no reason why he shouldn't trust Pansy.

“Is there anything else I could do for you?” she then asked, smiling suggestively. “Maybe a little massage? Always great when one has some troubles falling asleep...”

Pansy giving him a massage? Hell yes! And he wouldn't mind her going a bit further; it's been a bloody long time since he ever had someone else pleasing him like that. Too long for his own taste, because all the pleasure he got nowadays was from his own hand. “I definitely have some troubles falling asleep at the moment...”

“Let me help you then.” And she started to gently massage his shoulders, smiling when she heard him moan and his glowing started to intensify; and with a short look, she checked once more for the knife that she had hidden under tub, waiting just for the moment when he was fully relaxed and at peace.

 

 **At the inn**  
Hermione arrived with Blaise at the inn not long after; the ride had been rather bumpy, and she just hoped that she wasn't too late for his sake.

“You can make yourself useful, girl, and bring the horses to the stable. Make sure they only get the best hay,” Blaise ordered when they got out of the coach.

Not wanting to upset the storyline too much, Hermione followed his orders, and went about to bring the horses to the stable for the night. Once inside the stable, she discovered the unicorn. “Well, hello, my dear. Unicorns really are beautiful creatures...” Seeing that unicorn, she was sure she was at the right place; all she had to do now was getting Draco out of that place before he got killed. The stable boy took the horses over and made sure they were fed and given water, while Hermione talked to the unicorn for a moment, gently stroking its nostrils. “He is here, isn't he? You brought him here, right?”

The unicorn nodded, then pushed her gently away, as if it was urging her to go back in.

She smiled faintly. “I know what you want to say, I've read the story. You stay safe, okay?” She stroked his head one more time before she turned around to leave the stable for the inn. When she finally entered the main room, she could see Draco come down the stairs, clad in a more befitting set of clothes, and trying not to laugh – at least not too loudly. He was focused on Blaise at the bar, and hadn't noticed her entrance at all.

Blaise himself was currently arguing with the innkeeper about a room and a bath, as it would befit someone of his status. “You better have your best room prepared, and a decently hot bath.”

“Of course, my lord, I'll have it prepared momentarily. Why not enjoy a glass of our best wine while you are waiting, my lord?” the black-haired and – as Hermione thought – rather pug-nosed innkeeper offered, the fakest polite smile on her lips that she could muster.

“No, until my brother is dead, I will only drink from my own bottle. I'm not taking that risk,” Blaise answered.

“Well then,” the innkeeper left the main room to seemingly prepare the bath for Blaise.

Hermione remained at the door for a moment, as the others still haven't noticed her. She used the opportunity to take a closer look at Draco who was now at the end of the stairs; he looked better, relaxed even, and was he glowing? He really was a star in this story if he was glowing. In a weird way, she thought it suited him. And those clothes were most definitely a better fit than the dress he had on before. God, he looked good in them – deliciously good even... She shook her head to get that thought out of her head again. And then she watched how Blaise recognised the ring on his finger.

“How did you find this ring? It looks suspiciously like it belongs to my family.” Blaise's voice had all the regal demand of authority that this role would require. Draco tried not to laugh. “I found it, my lord,” he answered with a sarcastic undertone. “I'd say it is finders keepers.”

“You have no right to own that ring, it belongs to the royal family of this kingdom. I could throw you in prison for the possession of it. Now give me the ring.”

Hermione now joined them. “Don't, Malfoy.”

Both men looked at her in surprise, clearly not having heard her come in. “How did you find me?” Draco then asked, not hiding his irritation.

“I've read the story, remember?” she retorted, trying to shield him a bit from Blaise.

“The horses are cared for, I presume,” Blaise interrupted.

“Yes, my lord. They have their dinner and water,” Hermione replied with a polite smile.

“You travelled with him?”

“Yes, you idiot. I'm supposed to be here too,” she retorted. “He is one of the kingdom's princes that are hunting for the king's ruby ring. And they will do anything to get their hands on it. Literally _anything_.”

“You mean like...?” He moved his hand over his throat to indicate a cut.

Hermione nodded. “We should leave now.”

He sighed. “Why not stay the night? You must be tired from all that running around finding food...”

“I am, but I'd rather stay outside under some tree than in here.”

“This the young man you were trying to find?” Blaise asked, watching the conversation between Hermione and Draco suspiciously. “You knew that he possesses a jewel that belongs to my family?”

Hermione suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, and turned to fully face Blaise again. “Yes, my lord. He walked out on me when he shouldn't have. And no I didn't know that the jewel belongs to your family...”

The innkeeper came back down, apparently the bath was ready. She was still smiling as fake as she could. “Why not? I'm sure I have another room that I could have made ready for you, young lady.”

Hermione almost jumped when she saw the innkeeper up closer and recognised her. “Really, twins? Pansy of all people?”

“Right?” Draco smirked for a moment, and kept playing with the ring on his finger.

“Now, that ring on your finger. It is still legally mine.” Blaise held out his hand for Draco to give his ring back, not noticing that Pansy was coming to stand behind him with a knife in her hand.

“I'd close your eyes now,” Hermione whispered, knowing what was going to happen, and even tried to push Draco away. He didn't need to see his friends kill each other.

“You've talked enough about that blasted ring of yours, distracting me from really important matters, my lord.” And with one swift pull, Pansy cut Blaise's throat open.

Despite knowing what was to come, Hermione was still shocked how ruthlessly Pansy just killed Blaise. She checked for Draco, who was even more flabbergasted than she was, staring at Pansy with his mouth open. “We have to leave now. She is after you.”

 

“ _Oh sweet Merlin's fucking balls!_ ” Blaise cried out when he re-materialised as a ghost. Great, killed by a witch. And look at all that blood over his clothes. And there went his chance of becoming the kingdom's next king. Fucking great day so far. He just hoped he didn't have to stay for the rest of eternity like that.

 

“Oh no! You two aren't going anywhere! I will have his heart!” She now pointed at Draco with her knife. “A frightened star's heart is still better than no heart at all...” She laughed maliciously, and let a wall of fire rise from nowhere.

“What? She could keep her powers? How unfair is that?” Draco complained.

Hermione started to fumble for the candle stump she had stored away in her cleavage. “I take it you trusted her when you came here?”

“Come on, it was fucking Pansy. She used to do everything for me. The twins couldn't have been more bloody literal with their casting... And could you please stop fumbling around between your boobs?”

“What? Getting turned on by a bit of fumbling?” she retorted. “Ha, there it is. Hold on tight, this will get us out.” She offered him her free hand.

After a short questioning look, Draco took her hand, and nodded; he looked like he preferred not having his heart cut out by Pansy.

After another short check on Draco, and making sure that he held her hand tightly, she held the candle in the fire. “Think of a safe place where she can't find us,” she said, and hoped he wasn't sea sick for their next stop.

 

 **Rough landing on a pirate ship**  
“Where the hell have we landed?” Draco groaned, when he felt some ground under him again. It just felt surprisingly wooden, and his back ached from the rather rough landing. “And again, get off me, Granger! Or I get the idea you actually like lying on top of me...”

“I rather think you like lying underneath me,” Hermione countered, and slowly moved herself off him.

“As if,” he sneered, but couldn't keep a smile from showing up on his lips; he could still feel where her boobs had been, and he wondered for a moment what they would look like without all those layer of clothing hiding them. To distract himself from those kinds of thoughts, he took a look around. Of course, they had to land on a bloody ship. And not just some ship, it did look like a pirate ship, with the proverbial skull flag flying; besides that, he could see several wooden crates, ropes connected to the sails, and the entrance to what he thought would probably be the captain's quarters. “It looks like a—”

“—like some sort of pirate ship,” Hermione finished, looking just as confused as he was. “I'm just wondering who they cast as the ship's captain.”

“I thought you said to think about the safest place you could imagine? And we end up on a pirate ship...”

“We would have ended up on a ship anyway, if the twins stuck somewhat to the original story, regardless of what I might have told you.”

“Great,” he grumbled. He couldn't exactly see why this was an improvement to having his heart cut out by a crazy witch that had been made to look like Pansy. Gods, he could never ever even consider wanting to be close with her in real life any longer! That crazy look on her face, plus the fact that she had just killed one of his best friends, was enough to kill any further interest he might ever have had in the future. This story is probably just a prank by the twins anyway...

“Captain! Captain! We have been boarded!”

“I wouldn't be surprised if it was Ginny, that little devil,” Draco said, then watched the ship's deck flooded with rather rough looking sailors.

“Captain! Captain! Captain!”

“Take them in, and bring to the brig, boys!” a surprisingly high-pitched, and somewhat serene voice commanded that made both Hermione and Draco turn around to see who spoke like this; they both only got a glimpse of long blonde hair hidden beneath a big captain's hat.

“No, they didn't,” Hermione tried to say before the sailors pulled her up to chain her.

“What do you mean?” Draco asked, himself roughly propped up by the sailors.

“That wasn't Ginny. T-That sounded more like Luna.”

“Loony?”

And then they were already brought under deck to the brig, which looked more like a pantry than an actual prison cell; it looked like they hadn't had a prisoner in quite some time, and decided to use the empty space differently.

 

“What now?” Draco asked when they were chained back-to-back on chairs in the brig; he was trying to get his hands free.

“No need for that,” Hermione tried to calm him when she noticed his fumbling, as the cord was cutting into her wrists. “We're going to be the Captain's guest on this ship if I remember the story correctly. Just relax.”

“Last time I relaxed I almost got killed, remember?”

“Lesson learned about who you can trust then?”

“Yes,” he admitted quietly. “Thanks for saving me.”

She smiled at his genuine sounding voice. “You know, I was actually worried about you for a moment,” she then replied honestly. “As annoying as you are most of the times, I didn't want to lose you there.”

“Really?” he asked surprised, his head jerking up, and slightly bumping into hers.

“Yes. I just wish you wouldn't try to constantly piss me off at work.”

He sighed. “Don't take this the wrong way, but you're usually easy to get riled up, Granger. But I like our banters at work, no one else gives back as good as you do.”

“Really?” Now it was Hermione who was surprised to hear something like that. “I like them too.”

“You're different than all the others, you know?” he then continued.

“You think?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Look, you're not easily intimidated, least of all by me as I figured from the way you just hit back; and you have a brilliant mind, you're not afraid to use less than the noble ways that befit a Gryffindor to get what you want. You're a force to reckon with, and that lets you stand out. I definitely like that.”

"You have an odd way of showing it," Hermione replied in a whisper, blushing after hearing this from Draco. At work, they did behave somewhat friendly with each other, a consequence of their friend circles having merged in the recent couple of years now that everyone worked at the Ministry with regular contact between them all based on the cases. Yes, there had even been cordial and close moments between them when they didn't argue for a moment or two; and he actually was a work partner she could rely on in important moments. She just never considered that he actually liked her that way. But then, she never even considered looking past his facade anyway, Malfoy had somewhat remained that annoying git for her, even after Hogwarts. She realised that this was unfair, that he had matured into responsible adult too, just like her, and that she should give him a chance. With an embarrassed smile - that she was glad he couldn't see right now - she remembered what it had felt like lying on top of him after they had landed on the ship's deck; it had actually been comfortable, it just had been too long ever since she had been this intimate with someone - too long for her taste, anyway. Yes, she should definitely give him a chance...

This moment of awkward, introspective silence was disturbed by the captain entering. “So, what am I going to do about the two of you?”

 

 **The captain's cabin**  
“No! No! Let me go, you brute! You already killed him!” Hermione screamed when she was dragged on deck by the Captain. She had just watched Draco being dragged out first, and then heard the sailors jeer and hoot when they had apparently pushed him off the plank. She didn't want to know what would happen to her now. Merlin, and she usually wasn't one to panic, but now, in front of the whole crew and with the captain's knife in her back, she did indeed panic.

“I'm taking the girl to my cabin! Anyone disturbing me will clean the deck with a single-haired brush!”

“You heard the Captain! Now bugger off!”

Was that Neville? Hermione stared in surprise at the mate that just placed himself in front of the Captain's cabin. He looked all rough and seemed to maintain a rather grim look to keep the other mates off; but the hard labour on this ship seemed to have done wonders to his physique, she noticed the strong shoulders and the muscles on his arms.

Once inside the cabin, the Captain let go of Hermione. “I'm sorry to have scared you like that, but there was no other way of keeping up appearances.” Hermione looked around in the cabin; it was a surprisingly big room with shelves on the sides containing maps, books on navigation as far as Hermione could tell, and nautical instruments. However, they also contained trinkets that were most definitely Luna-esque and that probably warded off against something imaginary. She noticed that there was a smaller separate room adjoining, probably the bedroom with a washing place. Rounded off was everything by the big round table just under the tainted glass windows.

“I'm not dead, by the way...”

“Wh-What?” Hermione spun around from taking a closer look at the nautical books, more than glad to see Draco alive and well sitting at the Captain's table, smiling at her. “Oh, Thank God!”

“There had been no time to explain the whole charade to you before, thanks for playing along so well. Now, tea anyone?”

Hermione had to sit down; the last few moments had just been a bit much for her. God, she should have remembered that from the book, she felt a bit embarrassed now for even thinking that Draco might have been killed.

“Afraid of losing me again?” he asked, grinning.

She nodded, hiding her face in her hands for a moment, before rubbing it. “I actually panicked for a moment.”

“Me too. Though, honestly, I'm surprised that you actually panicked... I mean between the two of us, I'm the one who loses their nerves first,” he admitted, seemingly amused about her moment of panic.

She chuckled. “True. I heard you scream like a girl several times now—”

“Hey, I don't scream like a girl,” he replied. “But, you know, I actually had to stand on that bloody plank and take the jump. But I never landed in the water.”

“H-How?”

“You can't see it from above, but there's some sort of net underneath that leads to this cabin. And you were right; it is Luna as the Captain.”

The Captain, or rather Luna, came back to the table with a pot of tea, mugs and some biscuits to eat. In a strange way, the usually rather serene and otherworldly seeming woman made the pirate look work. The hat, which was now lying on her writing desk, was decorated with several exotic looking feathers, and the clothes were probably inspired by a more oriental look, as she was wearing those wide trousers, with a fitting shirt, and a coat made from colourful patches. It definitely was Luna. “While that lovely girl here can enjoy some biscuits, you'll get a new look, Draco. And I think I have something that is just perfect for you.” And Luna went to open a wardrobe that was bigger than Hermione's bedroom, only to come back out with a suit. “My father used to wear this when he was younger. It should fit you perfectly, he was about the same size.”

Amused and enjoying some very tasty biscuits, Hermione watched Draco change into his new set of clothes. And she had the best seat at the table for that to enjoy the view. She already knew from his close-fitting shirts at work that he was hiding his still decently athletic body, but now she got the full picture, and it was a very delectable one at that! God, she would have given quite a lot to be able to let her hand run over his skin that moment. And he probably would even let her...

“No staring, Granger, or I might think you like the view...”

“Why? Is a lady not allowed to enjoy a look or two?” Hermione retorted, smirking.

“Oh, you do admit to like what you see.”

“I never said anything to the contrary.” With a teasing smile, she put another biscuit in her mouth. And those clothes he was now putting on were just as nice; they consisted of a pair of dark coloured trousers that were rather high-cut, a vest in a slightly lighter colour, a white shirt that he didn't button completely and a coat in the same colour as the trousers. There were probably going to be boots added later on.

 

“Très chic, as my father would've said,” Luna added, smiling contentedly. “Now, young lady, it's your turn to take a pick.”

“Really, I'm fine.”

“Granger, you're running around in the same dress ever since we started that dream. Pick a dress. Or I'll pick one for you.” He mocked going back to the wardrobe, just to get her to change as well. Plus, he had seen a dress whose colours might look great on her, but she would never wear it if he just plain suggested it. No, with her, he had to resort to other tricks.

“Oh no, you don't. I know your taste. I'm not going to run around in a piece of nothing.” Hermione got up immediately, and went into the wardrobe to go through the dresses hanging in there.

“The blue one, Granger.” Draco stood in the door to the wardrobe and watched with some amusement how surprised she was at the amount of dresses, and her inability to just choose one; that's why made that suggestion. “It'll look great with your complexion,” he added, watching her go through the dresses with Luna's help; her answer to his suggestion was a glare, just as he had expected. He shrugged.

Luna eventually helped Hermione pull the mentioned dress out, and held it in front of her. “Yes, he's right; that might look wonderful on you. Why not try it on?” Luna smiled.

“Can you close the wardrobe then for a moment? I-I don't feel too comfortable with him watching...”

“What? Allowed to watch _me_ change, but not allow me to watch _you_ change?”

“Shut it, Malfoy!”

“Oh come on, Granger, I know you hide a pretty body underneath those clothes, why not let me see it at least once.”

“Not everyone is as confident about their body as you are, so please let me get changed in peace.”

That did shut up Draco, and he let her change into the dress while waiting outside the wardrobe, letting his thoughts wander a bit. He was definitely surprised that she was so self-conscious about her appearance, and somewhat wondered how that came to be, as he was sure that she had absolutely no reason to. She was the most confident person he knew when she fought for something she believed in - Merlin, she even fought the Minister fearlessly for that reform project concerning renewed Muggle relations. No, he didn't just like that fire in her, he secretly adored her for it; and he definitely wanted someone with that kind of fire in his life. Her return from the wardrobe pulled him from his musings; and seeing her in that blue dress left him positively stunned, maybe even a teeny bit smitten. Merlin's balls, he had chosen it because of the colour, and now he saw that it hugged her in absolutely all the right places, and she did have a perfect set of breasts. God, she looked downright gorgeous! “W-Wow,” he could finally mumble after a few moments.

 

Hermione grinned at his reaction, and then blushed. She had never really worn a dress like that; only to Ministry events where formal attire was required did she wear something that might have resembled that dress she wore now. It consisted of a corset bust that flowed out into a nicely flared gown, while the top ended in simple shoulder-long sleeves; its simplicity was what made it so gorgeous. And his reaction was what she was somewhat hoping for when she stepped out; it did make her feel less like an idiot for trying it on. No, his honest reaction even made her feel rather beautiful and appreciated, and she smiled shyly. During her short relationship with Ron, he never managed to make her feel like that...

Luna joined them at the table, smiling at what she was seeing. “Now, let's discuss how to re-introduce you to the crew. I do have an idea though...” She sat down, and took a biscuit.

Hermione was on one hand glad that Luna distracted them with a change in subject, and on the other hand was pretty sure would come up with something rather Luna-esque, as she always did. Even the plan in the original story was still crazy enough to actually count as something Luna would've come up. It reminded her to give the original Luna the book one day, maybe for her next birthday. She finally sat down next to Draco, who still had a rather stunned expression on his face whenever he looked at her. “You okay?”

He nodded. “I-I just never thought you had in you to look like _that_...”

“Like what?” she asked, amused about his sudden loss of speech. “I figure you want to say _stunning_ , maybe?”

He nodded again, still captivated by her looks. “Yes, _stunning_ might fit.”

 

 **Days on deck**  
The re-introduction of them was just as Hermione remembered from the book, except for the fact that she wasn't the star in the story, but Draco. She had joined Luna on a trip to a salesman who usually bought whatever her crew had managed to catch on their trips, and Draco would wait for them until he would hear them return, and then show up on deck, looking all made over and, as Luna had promised them, unrecognisable for her crew.

The crew was indeed all on deck when Luna and Hermione returned from their visit to the salesman. “Mates, we have something to celebrate! With this beautiful bird I could get us a much better price for our last catches-”

“Hoorraaaay!”

That was the sign for Draco to show up on deck. “-and we also welcome my cousin on board for a bid on his journey home,” Luna introduced Draco and pointed with a smile in his direction.

“Captain,” Draco answered, smirking, and did a perfect bow.

“Hoorraaay!”

Hermione noticed that Neville, as second-in-command, still looked a bit sceptical, he probably didn't quite believe the story of a suddenly appearing cousin, but then, as long as there was something to celebrate, even the real Neville wouldn't say something – Hermione was still sometimes surprised that he had turned into a very social and amicable person in real life; why the twins thought it funny to cast him as a pirate was beyond her understanding.

“I'm sorry about the following, just play along,” Luna whispered in Hermione's ear. “I even have something to keep you amused on the way, my dear cousin.” And she shoved Hermione towards Draco, who took her over in quite a possessive manner.

“Okay, let's get on our way, and celebrate!” Neville shouted. “And yes, in that order!”

“You still look great in that dress,” Draco whispered in Hermione's ear, while holding her hand tightly as a sign to the other sailors that she was most definitely his.

“Thanks,” she replied, trying to hide her blush. She was surprised how soft his hand was, and she definitely liked the firm, yet gentle touch.

“Okay, let's go back inside, or they will get ideas.” With that, Draco pulled her back inside the captain's cabin, where they were going to stay as long as they were guests on board.

 

The next day, while those of the crew who weren't on shift nurtured their hangover, Luna found the time to give Draco – and after a small discussion and another change in clothes, Hermione as well – a lesson in the basics of fencing. To both, it bore quite some semblance to wizard duels; in both sports it was about the right technique to catch your opponent off-guard without getting hit yourself.

“Yes, just like that!” Luna said, with a big smile when Draco managed to repeatedly defeat her in their mock fight. But what he liked most about that afternoon was hearing Hermione laugh at his attempts, until she started to cheer for him when he finally got better.

“Let me try too!” Hermione interrupted their play with a smirk, and reached for the training sword.

“Okay, let's see if you have learned something from watching,” Draco replied, a teasing smile on his lips, and handed her his training sword. He was definitely curious how well she would fight against Luna who was quite a capable fighter in this dream. Though it didn't really help his focus that Hermione was now wearing rather fitting trousers that hugged her backside quite nicely.

“I see, you have experience in fighting,” Luna commented Hermione's sword handling.

“You'd be surprised, Captain.” Hermione watched her opponent for a moment or two, deciding on her first move, like a cat that was about to strike.

As much fun as Hermione had trying her luck, Draco had almost even more fun watching her. It had been like a small déjà-vu for him, and he guessed that it must be a similar experience for her right now; though this time, they didn't have to fight for their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts, on different sides still back then. No, this time, it was actually fun. “You call that an attack?” he teased her after Luna easily thwarted Hermione's first attempt of an attack, though the approach wasn't actually that bad; it was mostly thwarted because a sword was still something different than a wand, especially the weight took some getting used to.

“That wasn't too bad, try again.” Luna got back into her first position.

Draco came over to Hermione, coming to stand behind her, and laid his hands carefully on her shoulders. “Wait. Try to hit her on her left, she seems to have a weak spot there,” he then whispered in her ear, himself resisting the urge to just kiss her neck there and then, it was so temptingly close, and she smelled so wonderful. Though he noticed that she shivered in response to his closeness, and then closed her eyes for a moment; she always did that at work when she tried to keep her focus. Her reaction made him smile. With his hint, Hermione finally managed to defeat Luna on her fourth try, after she finally got a feeling for the sword and its weight.

“That was great!” Luna admitted, breathing out. “But I need to take a break, and check on my lazy crew...” She handed her training sword to Draco. “You two can continue as much as you want, however.”

Hermione laughed mischievously, swirling her sword in her hand. “Oh, this is going to be fun...”

“Please be careful, you don't want to hurt the captain's cousin,” he retorted playfully, swirling his own sword and then taking his position opposite her. “I'm not sure the crew would like that—”

“Oh, I believe the crew would much less like it if you hit their precious lady guest,” she countered amused.

Draco chuckled and noticed that she was checking him for any weak points. He wasn't quite decided yet whether he should let her win or fight her more earnestly...

“Oh come on... I know you can fight better than that!” Hermione complained after a few rounds. “No need to hold back.”

“Yeah, man, no need to hold back against the lady, she is definitely not holding back,” one of the crew interjected, who was clearly cheering for Draco.

“You heard them,” Hermione teased, circling him.

“If you insist, Milady...” Draco mocked a bow, and then started another attack. They would continue their mock fight for the rest of the day, having enormous fun hitting each other, with more and more of the crew coming out to watch them – half of them cheering for Hermione, half of them cheering for Draco.

 

The next evening, after helping the crew on the ship as good as they could, they had a small elegant party on deck, with Luna bringing out a vinyl player and a record with dance music; and there was even a piano placed on deck. The crew seemed to have cleaned themselves up quite a bit for the evening, probably all hoping for a dance with their lady guest. Hermione currently danced with Neville, who had indeed been the first of the crew to ask her for a dance, and he was now leading her expertly through the waltz.

Luna and Draco meanwhile where sitting at a table next to the vinyl player watching the dance floor. “She is a beautiful girl,” she said, so that only Draco could hear her.

He nodded, not taking his eyes of Hermione, who was currently laughing at something Neville had said to her. Oh yes, she was most definitely a beautiful woman, especially now that she was wearing that blue dress again.

“I've watched you a bit over the last few days... It's quite obvious that you seem to like her.”

Now Draco looked at Luna rather bewildered for a moment, having been pulled from his thoughts. Was it really that obvious that he did like her?

“Look, I know what you are, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But your emotions give you away, you know? You glow whenever you have her next to you, or whenever she smiles at you.”

Draco let out a small groan. Merlin, that star thing is definitely not helping his attempt to keep it together next to Hermione if it made it so obvious to outsiders to guess his feelings. “Yeah, after all, what do stars do best?” he replied sarcastically, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Luna nodded. “The way she keeps looking at you, I guess she feels the same.”

He only nodded, he had noticed those small looks all day, and her blushing whenever she realised that he had caught her checking him out. Gods, thinking about those moments, he tried not to glow too much.

“Oi, Neville, let my cousin dance with the lady for once!” Luna then shouted, amused. “Come, do a dance with her, and see for yourself...”

Draco reluctantly got up, still feeling slightly embarrassed, and joined Hermione on the dance floor. “Hey...”

“Hey,” Hermione replied, looking just as embarrassed as he did. “What you did you talk about?”

“Just about me glowing a bit too much,” he said, grinning a bit sheepishly, then placed her hand on his shoulder, and took the other with his.

“You're a star in this story, and stars tend to shine, you know?” She smiled, and let him lead through the dance.

“And here I was thinking you considered them to be simple balls of gas,” he replied ironically, mostly to distract himself from his still on-going embarrassment. It didn't help that she looked at him like she did right now – big and warm brown eyes and that wonderful smile that lightened up her face. If there hadn't been any people around them in that specific moment, he might have tried to kiss her.

“Well, maybe you're the exception to the rule,” she whispered, and smiled when he pulled her a bit closer, so that they were now dancing very closely. “And sometimes I like exceptions like this.”

“You most definitely are an exception to almost everything.”

“And you turned out to be one too, you know? Never thought you'd do this much for your redemption, and I just realised over the last couple of days that you've changed quite a bit since those days. And I like the new you...”

Draco couldn't contain a broad smile. Yes, he had changed a lot ever since their school days, and it had taken quite a few lessons in humility and forgiveness. It had been worth it though, and having her in his arms like this only topped everything. And it seemed that they both had some sort of epiphany about their feelings after this long needed push. Though the shining made him feel as if he was put on display for everyone to see.

“Shit, I shouldn't have told you that, you glow even more now,” Hermione commented with an amused chuckle, and let her hand wander down his arm.

“A clear disadvantage of being a star in a story like this. The twins are so going to pay for that.”

“Oh yes! And I'm sure it wasn't just them, but probably all of our friends. They seriously have some nerves!”

“They do. But we still have some time to come up with something I guess; after all, we still have to get to that village, remember?”

“Yeah. I wonder how far we have to walk when we get off the ship. Probably another day I guess.” And with a contended sigh, she leaned her head on his shoulder. “Though, since this is our dream, I don't think we actually need to hurry that much.”

He nodded. No, they didn't need to hurry, not at all. And this moment didn't have to stop soon either.

 

But the departure from the ship came sooner than they both anticipated; it was the next day when Luna had the ship docked in another port. So they now found themselves standing in front of the ship, Hermione back in the clothes she had worn during their fencing lesson, as it was more convenient to walk in than the dress, Draco in his now usual set of clothes, and both with a small sword on their hip and a small knife in the boots; they were saying their heartfelt goodbyes to Captain Luna.

“There's the road you'll need to take to get to the village. Good luck on your journey home, Hermione.” Luna hugged Hermione. “And with yours as well, Draco.” She hugged him as well, though a bit shorter.

For Draco, that was a completely new experience, getting a hug from Luna; they haven't ever hugged before in real life. So yes, weird was probably the correct word for it.

“Don't be afraid to tell her,” Luna whispered in his ear just before she let go again.

He nodded, then let go of her as well. “Good luck to you as well, my dear cousin.”

“What did she tell you? I saw her whisper something in your ear,” Hermione said when they waved the crew goodbye, before getting on their own way.

“What do you mean? She just said goodbye. Like a good cousin, that was all,” he replied, smiling about Luna's words. “Come let's go, we still have a bit to walk until the village.”


	2. Chapter 2

**On the road**  
“There's a coach coming towards us,” Draco pointed out, when they were walking on a long-winded road over the rolling hills that were so characteristic for the English countryside a few hours outside the port down. The landscape was mostly dotted with bushes and a few trees; the road was lined with more bushes that sometimes were as high as their hips.

“Hide,” Hermione replied, and pushed him into the closest hedge.

“Again?”

“Shh... I just don't want people seeing you. Remember? I've read the story, and I know what they would do to you if they realise what you are,” she retorted when she landed on top of him.

“Of course, and for a moment, I thought you just like lying on top of me.” Gently, he wiped a free strand out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. As if he was in some sort of trance, he let his thumb then brush over her lips, watching her for any reaction.

God, kiss me already, you idiot! Hermione sighed; of course she had noticed his mesmerized gaze and the thumb brushing gently over her lips, she knew that he was tempted in this situation, and she wished for nothing more than him starting to kiss her already instead of just brushing her lips with his thumb. Yes, that moment was definitely tempting; she just didn't dare yet to tell him to just go on. "Come, let's go on. The village shouldn't be that far off anymore," she whispered, and closed her eyes when he let his hand run over her cheek, as it sent a shiver down her spine. "We could get a room there..."

He gazed at her for another moment, before he finally slowly nodded. "Let's go then," he rasped, and took a deep breath, while waiting for her to climb off him.

 

“What else happens in that book our dream is based on?” Draco asked a while later, after they had walked in silence for a while, warped in their own thoughts about their changing relationship.

“Well,” Hermione began, trying to remember the details. “You've met the witch. In the book, she has three sisters — they are considered something like witch queens. Then there are the princes of the kingdom, it's called Stormhold in the book, and they have that rather homicidal tradition of killing each other to find out the next in line of succession-”

“The crown going to the last surviving brother I presume.”

“Yes. And in the book, there were twelve brothers, but only two still alive. Then we have the background story of my character – who is actually a shop boy foolishly in love with the village beauty.”

“You're playing a boy?”

“Well, you're playing a girl,” she countered with a teasing grin. “I told you before that the star is a girl. And a surprisingly cynical one at that, so probably a good fit for you.”

“Bah.”

“Hey, you're one of the most cynical persons I've ever met...”

“Well, at least I seem to rub it off on you. At least at work...”

“True.”

He smiled softly. “Care to lend me the book when we're back in our world?”

“We'll see. Maybe I need it to first hit someone else on the head with it.”

“The twins? If so, I'll hold them for you...”

 

The village was indeed not that far off anymore, and they reached it in good time, just as the sun started to go down. Despite trying to initiate conversation several times, Draco's mind was still stuck on that moment in the hedge, still stuck on the feeling of her soft lips under his thumb. Soft and even slightly parted. He wished they were back in their own reality because then he would know whether it really was the same for her, or whether he was just imagining it. It was still a dream after all, and they could just go back to their usual safe banter and that it hadn't been real. But then, hadn't everything in this dream felt so damn real so far? Especially the moment in the pantry when they both finally opened up? Gods, there had to be something between them, or their friends wouldn't have gone this far... He just hoped that whatever they had now in this dream world would also translate into their reality. He was glad for the distraction from his thoughts when they finally entered the village on this side of the wall; they planned to spend the night at the inn and continue their quest the next morning.

"This is almost like I imagined it when I read it the first time," Hermione whispered when she looked around the marketplace.

"It feels a bit like Diagon Alley with all those magical items around," he replied. The marketplace was filled with stands and tents that sold almost anything one could think of, from simple talismans and luck charms to rather disgusting looking items on stands a bit hidden away in the corners. And then the creatures that walked through here — most of them looked human, yet had some unusual features that set them apart.

"Yes, it does." She nodded, and checked the buildings. "Oh, finally, there it is. That's the inn..." She pointed at the house with a prominent sign hanging from its wall, and she started dragging him into this direction. "It's been a long walk. Can't wait to get off my feet."

Draco let himself be dragged to the inn, still looking around at the market place, where he thought he had seen another familiar face at a stand that sold luck charms, but one he could even less place than Pansy; he just knew that he should know her.

Hermione didn't notice the woman at the stand with the luck charms, she was determined to get to the inn. "Do you have a room for us for the night?" she asked the innkeeper when they could finally find the place.

"One room for both of you?" the innkeeper asked, eyeing them suspiciously while scratching his slightly stubbled chin. "You don't look like you're married--"

"Just a room with two beds is good enough for us," Draco interrupted him. He wasn't in the mood for any games; he was tired, and he needed a break from all that walking.

The innkeeper eyed them again, and then shrugged. "I won't mind if you can pay the room upfront..."

  
"That looks surprisingly nice for a village inn room," Draco commented when they finally entered their room. The room consisted of simple, but clean and somewhat matching furniture - a chest of drawers with a washing bowl and water jug on it, a simple table and a chair, as well as a mirror. However, the bed was a single one - big, but single.

"Yes, it's very nice," Hermione replied, sitting down on the bed, stretching her legs. "God, that feels great to get off my feet. I can't remember when I last walked that far. I'm very much looking forward to having my magic back."

"No need to tell me." He sat down next to her. "Though it's been an interesting journey so far."

"Yes, it was indeed." She looked down on her feet, avoiding his gaze. Yes, it definitely had been an interesting journey. Who knew that it took a witch and a handful of pirates to finally make them see? "Can I ask you something?" she finally asked, close to whispering, her heart beating hard.

"Hmm?" He gently took her hand in his, and started to run his fingers over her palm and her wrist.

She smiled at the touch; it gave her something to focus on. "Back in the hedge, d-did you mean to kiss me? I mean--"

"Yes, I was thinking about it," he admitted.

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't really know. Maybe because I wasn't sure you'd like it."

Hermione blushed, as she remembered that she had wished for nothing more in that moment. But then, she did hesitate in that moment as well, not so sure either whether he'd like it. Breathing in deeply, she dared to look up, straight at him, and smiled shyly. And for a moment, she got lost in those surprisingly darkened grey eyes, until a brushing touch on her cheek pulled her back, and then she saw Draco's face only inches from hers, watching her. That was the moment she decided she didn't care any longer, and leaned forward to press her lips on his, even let her tongue run over them.

And Draco did understand her request; he let go of her hand, and instead now cupped her face to pull her even closer for a proper kiss.

Hermione felt electrified the moment he responded to her invitation. Now she wanted to taste everything, every corner of his mouth, and the feel of his tongue against hers. And from the way he was kissing her back, he wanted the same.

"Gods, you're wonderful," he breathed between kisses.

She couldn't help but smile at that remark. "Stop talking."

So, with a big smile, and now glowing rather brightly, he kissed her again; he slowly started to lean back, pulling her with him, so that in the end, she came to lie on top of him.

"Take that shirt off," she demanded a bit later, pulling at the seams; she wanted to touch his skin, yet there was still one last layer of clothing blocking her.

"Only if you take yours off as well," he replied, smirking, having long since pulled her shirt up and letting his hands roam over her back."I know you hide a perfect body underneath all that clothing. I want to see it."

Hermione blushed deeply at that, and then, after a deep breath, she propped herself up. "I don't know about that..."

He smiled warmly, trying to reassure her. "Remember the moment you stepped out of that wardrobe in that blue dress?"

She nodded, smiling sheepishly. "You were speechless."

"Oh, bloody hell, I was. You know why? You're one gorgeous and fiery woman. It wasn't the dress, it was you."

"Really?" Her smile grew wider. "Ron never said anything like that–"

"He's an idiot. Ouch!" He rubbed his shoulder after she had hit him in response to his remark. "It's true..." He playfully started to pull her shirt up a bit. "But I'm pretty sure you look just as gorgeous without anything on."

Hermione of course noticed what he was doing with her shirt, and now wanted him to go on. "You think?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and a teasing smirk.

"Hell, yes!" He chuckled, and pulled her shirt further up, getting it up to her shoulder blades now. "Just move your hips a bit, and you feel what I mean..."

"Ohh... I see." Still smirking teasingly, she ground her hips against his, excited to feel his arousal press against her folds. God, that felt so good! So, with a teasing smile — and in one swift movement — she pulled her shirt off, revealing her otherwise naked form; she noticed how he was already ravishing her with his eyes, it made her feel absolutely beautiful in that moment.

"See? Speechless again," he rasped after a few more moments, his hands now roaming over the newly bared skin.

She leaned down again, and started leaving a trail of kisses down his jaw, and his neck. "I never thought I'd get a pep talk from you," she breathed between kisses, and smiled when she heard him let out a moan, as she had apparently found one of his sweet spots on his neck.

“Anything for you, a-as long as you don't stop doing that..."

 

The next morning, Draco woke up when the sun hit his face through the window, though he refused to open his eyes just yet, not wanting to leave the moment. Merlin, they had spent most of the night just kissing and snogging heavily, so no, he didn't want to leave that moment just yet. He shivered when he remembered all those wonderful little sounds she had made when he had attended to that absolutely perfect set of breasts until they were all hardened and sensitive. And he had loved just as much how she had roamed his body, teasing him endlessly. Yes, the night had been wonderful, and he really hoped that they could bring over whatever they now had to the real world. They might have snogged for hours last night, but they haven't confessed anything; though he was sure that there was something between them, hopefully enough to remain outside of their shared dream...

With a contented sigh, Draco finally turned around. "Hermione...?" He panicked for a moment when he saw that he was alone in bed, with her nowhere to be heard in the room either. Had she just left him like that? And then, to his relief, he remembered the note that had said that she was supposed to bring the star — or at least a piece of it — to that village on the other side of the wall. So, no, she hadn't left him like that; she apparently just went to fulfil the requirements so that they could finally leave this dream and return to their reality. After stretching his legs, he decided not to wait for Hermione here, but to follow her to that village.

 

"Did my friend leave any message?" Draco asked the innkeeper shortly after, who was half asleep in a chair when he arrived in the hall of the inn that connected the main room with the stairs to the bedrooms.

"That girl with that bush of hair?" the innkeeper nodded sleepily. "She wanted some paper, but do I look like I own a paper factory?"

"What did she say then?" Draco asked, this time sounding a bit more impatient.

"Something about true love, leaving, and that she is sorry."

"WHAT?"

"Hey! Don't shout at me! Your friend was up freakishly early. My brain doesn't work before lunch..."

Fucking great! And with that half-remembered message, Draco's good mood was gone in a moment, and replaced by a mixture of embarrassment, hurt, and anger. How dare she leave him such a message after what they had last night? Now he definitely wanted to see that village and what it was all about!

 

Hermione meanwhile had reached the village of Wall; it was surprisingly small, but it had that small shop where the character she played in that story once worked, it had one of those lovely village churches with the cemetery around it, a small inn, and beautiful stone buildings she had always imagined English villages would have. If only she knew which house would be the destination.

"'Mione? You're back already?"

Gods, don't tell me the twins cast Ron as the person she initially wanted to bring the star back to! This meant some serious words from her to all the involved boys! "Yes, I made it back on time, you see?" she then replied, and as nicely as she could, since she was still supposed to fulfil the requirements. "And I brought you the piece of the star, as promised." She pulled out a folded piece of fabric from a pocket to give him; she just hoped that Draco wouldn't mind too much that she had cut a small lock from his hair. And she really hoped that they didn't have to go through the whole story to get out, as the note only said that she was just supposed to bring a piece of the star to the village...

"What's that? You brought me just some dust." Ron had meanwhile unfolded the fabric, and now sounded disappointed.

"What did you expect? A glowing piece?" Hermione retorted.

"Not just dust. What am I supposed to do with that? You think that is good enough for me to say yes to you on Maiden Day?"

"Grow up, Ron," she retorted irritated. This rather spoilt sounding version reminded her too much of the real version of him; Ron had always taken things for granted, even her in the end. "I hope you'll be happy with _her_ , you seem perfect for each other." But then realisation hit her - if there was now only dust in that fabric, then that would mean... "Oh shit!" With apprehension, and not wanting to risk anything, she left Ron on the street in that village, and immediately started to run back to the wall that separated the magical world of this reality from the human village. For God's sake, she was so going to grill the twins for that twist, for keeping this little detail in the story — the star turning into dust should he decide to cross the wall to follow her. And Draco would probably be stupid enough to want to follow her here. She just had to make sure that he wouldn't even get close to the wall.

 

Draco had meanwhile reached the path outside the human village that lead straight to the wall; he was now walking briskly. He was still annoyed - to put it nicely - that Hermione had left him like that. In his focus on Hermione's disappearance, he didn't notice that he was being followed by the same woman that had watched them the evening before.

She only caught up with him when he reached the wall, and was about to cross it. "Don't!" She yanked him back. "You won't survive it-"

"What do you mean?" he retorted in surprise at the touch, and turned around to see who had just talked to him.

"No thing magical can cross that border to the world of the humans. You're that star, you'll turn to dust if you cross it. Wait for her at the inn."

Fully turned around, he finally got a good look at her; she had what looked like pink hair, and dark twinkling eyes. And did her hair just change colour? Wait, no, was she? What the hell? How dare they use his dead cousin for this game!

"In their world, you're just a piece of rock and some dust; you really want to turn into that?"

Still somewhat irritated that the twins had used Nymphadora for this game as well, he shook his head. Oh, he was so going to grill all of them for that!

"Come, we need to leave. You really shouldn't be here..." She anxiously pointed to the coach that was fast coming closer to where they were standing.

"Where do you think you two are going?" It was Pansy who stopped them moments later from going any further. "I won't let the star slip through my fingers again." She got out of the coach, smiling maliciously, rubbing her hands in anticipation.

“Not you again...” Oh, just great! Draco couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, being a star in this story seriously started to suck!

"Take me, but leave him be!" Nymphadora replied defiantly, putting herself in front of him.

"Oh, but he is so much more valuable than you, my dear. You're just a nice add-on. You'll do nicely as my servant girl."

"I haven't survived Sal only to end up in your service!"

Pansy moved her hand in a circling motion. "You have a no choice I'm afraid. You're mine now..."

Only moments later did Draco realise that Pansy had just chained them together, and he was sure that this chain wasn't so easily broken.

"Now, let's go, we have a feast to prepare." Pansy pulled at her end of the chain, forcing her two new captives to follow her in to the coach.

"I'm sorry," Nymphadora whispered when they were finally seated inside, "but Black Magic corrupts them beyond anything. Immortality is too tempting for some."

"You mean...?" He pointed at his chest, and sighed when he saw Nymphadora nod. Fucking great, he was having his heart cut out after all. Not just his hopes crushed, but his heart cut out as well. Great day so far.

 

"No no no! I'm too late!" Hermione saw the coach tracks that were visible on the magical side of the wall, meaning that they weren't through with the story just yet. No, they _had_ to go the whole bloody length. She let her anger out for a moment, and then was surprised to see that a unicorn showed up from the forest. She couldn't really tell, but it could very well be same she saw in the inn stable at the beginning of their journey. "If I remember correctly, it's not a unicorn that shows up at this point, but I don't care anymore. He's in danger, right?"

The unicorn nodded, and then pointed to its back.

"I've never ridden a horse, much less a unicorn, before. Just don't throw me off, okay?" Hermione tried to climb on the unicorn's back, and after a couple of tries she did manage to get on it. "Let's go then."

And she followed the coach tracks as fast the unicorn dared to go with her on its back, which was still surprisingly fast for Hermione.

 

 **Meeting at the witch's lair  
** "And who are you? What are you doing here?"

Hermione almost jumped up when she heard that voice next to feeling a knife at her throat. However, she had learned quite a few tricks from Luna's crew back on the ship, and without thinking twice about it, pulled out her own knife, letting it point to her attacker’s hip before even daring to take a look at her attacker; she then had to swallow a laugh because she was looking straight at Harry, who looked surprisingly regal in his princely garments, it was just unusual to see him without his characteristic glasses. "What are _you_ doing here?" she finally replied, making her own knife known to him by poking him in the hip with it.

"I see."

After silently agreeing on a temporary truce, they both removed their respective knives, and took a look through the window.

"I can see at least two women, probably both witches, and I didn't know men were into this kind of magic as well..."

Inside, Hermione saw Draco being dragged upstairs to what looked like an altar or similar; he tried to put up a fight, but the witch, Pansy, had the upper hand. "We should try and get in quietly, use the element of surprise."

Harry nodded, and got ready to enter the building silently. And they were lucky, as there were cages near the door where they could hide themselves from any direct view. "The other witch is over there." He pointed towards the woman with her purple-pink hair.

Oh no, they didn't! Hermione recognised her immediately, it was Tonks! "I think she's the unwilling servant of the witch. Look, she has a chain around her wrist."

"Still..."

Hermione glared irritated at Harry and felt the urge to hit him on the back of his head; even the original Harry was repeatedly blind like that.

"Okay, I figure we approach the witch from the sides if we want to use the element of surprise. But the stone and the heart are mine-"

"You can have that blasted ring, but I won't let you touch the star," Hermione disagreed. "I take this side; you can switch to the other, with the servant girl." She remembered their relationship quite well now, brother and the long-lost sister; that was why she sent Harry over. After another moment of staring at Tonks in disbelief, she heard the witch struggle with Draco upstairs at the altar, and she returned her focus to trying to save him. So she slowly crawled closer and closer, not yet sure how to confront the witch without getting killed herself. Knowing that Pansy had been his lapdog back in Hogwarts, this was most definitely a weird situation, it looked like some odd metaphor on how the real Pansy had always kind of been after his heart, especially back at Hogwarts. On the other side of the room, she heard the sound of Harry recognising Tonks as his sister, however short-lived that joy was going to be. To gain some time, Hermione started to cut the cages open that were filled with animals of almost every sort.

 

" _Brother, now is not the time for family reunion,_ " Blaise in his ghost form commented. He had grown accustomed to the fact that nobody heard him now, so he resorted to cynically comment on everything his brother did. " _That girl over there has some good ideas..._ "

"What are you doing here, sister?" Harry asked, sounding surprised to find her here of all places.

"I could ask you the same thing, my dear brother, but my guess would be the ring he was wearing when we were caught by that witch..."

"Yes, father died, and all I need now is that ring to be verified as his successor."

" _Brother! Look what that girl is doing! Open those damn cages, it'll distract the witch, you sentimental idiot!_ "

"What the hell is going on down there?" Pansy shouted annoyed when she saw the animals run around. "Hey, who let them out?" With a magical surge, she blew the empty cages away, letting them land everywhere.

“ _See? You idiot? That girl over there was fast enough to find another hideout, and you're now open to the witch's view..._ ” Blaise leaned against the remnants of the cage tower that had just been destroyed by the witch, frustrated at the blatant ineptitude of his brother, and watched how he directed their sister to run out to relative safety where he could see her peak in from the window moments later.

"You have something that belongs to me, witch!"

" _Seriously, brother? Facing a witch queen head-on? Marvellous idea._ " Blaise clapped his hands, nobody heard him anyway. " _Go on, join me in a few minutes, it's awfully boring..._ "

 

Without realising it, Hermione fully agreed with Blaise - facing a witch without any magical powers was just plain stupid, but then again, typically Harry. He never was the thinker. But then she watched Pansy leave the altar to finish off Harry -- this was her chance! So she ran as quietly as she could manage up the stairs on the other side.

"Hermione!"

"Shh! And please stop glowing,” she replied, a big smile on her lips. Thank God, he was still unharmed. "We haven't much time." She started fumbling with the belts that kept him chained to the altar.

"Is that Harry?" Draco asked while she was trying to get his hands free.

Hermione nodded. "According to the original story, he won't survive that fight any way. Finally!"

Draco helped her with the belts that kept his feet chained, and it only took them a few additional seconds. "You left a really confusing note at the inn."

"What? You didn't read it? I made the innkeeper fetch some paper because in the original story, the innkeeper manages to forget half the message my character leaves for yours. Let's go."

He nodded. "He didn't bother giving me your note, just told me something about leaving, and you being sorry."

"I would never leave someone in such cowardly manner." She smiled, and offered him her hand to lead him back to the stairs.

"Hey, you two! Where do you think you are you going?" Pansy unfortunately had noticed the empty altar, and came up to them, letting a struggling Harry hang in the air, and slowly suffocating him. "Nobody steals a star from under my nose!"

"Close your eyes!" Draco told Hermione in a whisper.

"W-What?"

"Remember what the note said? Close your eyes, and hold on tight to me..."

Hermione nodded, and didn't even hesitate to embrace him, closing her eyes tight.

"...because what do stars do best?"

Hermione only heard Pansy scream in pain, which then turned into one last shriek before she could hear the witch implode.

"You can open them again," he whispered, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

That small gesture made Hermione look up, a bright warm smile lightening her face. "Kiss me properly."

"You know, for a moment, I thought you didn't want me after all that happened."

"For being apparently such a confident person as you claim, you sure have your own insecurities," she replied with a slightly teasing voice. "I'm not going to let you go now... And please kiss me now." Letting go of his waist, she cupped his face and pulled him down for a proper kiss.

 

 **Reality: Blaise's place  
** Hermione opened her eyes, and found herself in a completely different room, though with Draco lying next to her. She noticed that he was waking up as well, and looked just as disoriented as she was. "Hey," she whispered, and turned herself on her side to face him. "Welcome back to reality."

"Hey," he replied, his eyes softening and a smile turning his lips upwards when he finally saw her. “Where are we?” He turned towards her, taking her hands in his again.

“I guess this is Blaise's guest room. I remember vaguely that there was supposed to be some sort of party, and then I was already in the dream, landing on top of you.”

He nodded. “Same here.” He was now gently caressing her hands, letting his fingers brush over her palm. "Care to continue where we left off in that dream?” he whispered softly.

"Oh yes!" She nodded, relieved that the whole thing also seemed to continue in their own world. "And this time, no holding back like we were in that inn!" She moved closer until their faces were only inches apart, and pressed her lips on his, electrified by that first real touch.

"What do you reckon, should we try that couple thing?" he whispered when he broke off for some air, and then started gently covering her face with kisses.

"After we've hexed the arses off our friends, why not?" She pulled him up again so that she could see into his eyes for a moment, pondering over how it had taken them both an adventure dream set up by their friends to realise their feelings. “We might need to figure out a few things along the way, and we might piss each other off more often than not, but yes, I want to try it with you.” She kissed him gently on the lips. “For the moment, you're all I want.”

He responded with a deeper kiss. “You're all I want too. You, in all your gorgeous entirety,” he whispered, looking at her.

“I love hearing you calling me gorgeous,” she replied smiling, letting her hand run over his cheeks, and pulled a strand out of his face.

“You are.”

“Could you repeat it?”

“I see, you haven't been told that enough in your life. _Gorgeous. Stunning._ Bloody _mind-blowing_ even _._ ” His hand started to pull the top part of her dress up so that he could reach the skin underneath it.

“Thank you.” She kissed him again, tasting every corner of his mouth again, battling around playfully with his tongue. “God, you're wonderful,” she moaned while trying to get some air between kisses. His hands roaming over her skin on her back as well as their kisses started to make her feel light-headed.

The door to the guest room opened; apparently someone wanted to check on them. “Check that out, everybody!” It was Blaise, informing everybody that they were awake again.

"Do they have to come in right now?" Draco complained into the kiss. "They don't need to watch..." However, he didn't let the intruders keep him from kissing Hermione, nor did he stop his hands from teasing her under her top.

"Bat-Bogey Hex?" Hermione suggested a few moments later, grinning, but not stopping her kisses; she preferred to ignore their friends cramming into the room, all of the apparently eager to see the results of their little scheming — yet this obnoxious interruption called for a first act of revenge.

"Furunculus?" he replied, only stopping for a moment to breathe, seemingly amused about her devious proposition.

"Good one. Rictumsempra?"

"Too nice."

"Ever tried laughing while Bat-Bogey is attacking you?"

He grinned. "You're a devious little minx, I like that... So, all of them, on three?"

She nodded, and they both discreetly pulled their wands from their sleeves.

"...three. FURUNCULUS!”

“RICTUMSEMPRA!” Hermione added the Bat-Bogey Hex to her rain of spells, especially hitting Ron and Harry with it, while the twins were hit with a combination of her Tickling Jinx and Draco's Pimple Jinx; the rest received a combination of either of the three cast spells, resulting in rather curious looks. Oh yes, that was just perfect for a first satisfaction of their thirst for revenge.

 

“What was that supposed to be?” Harry complained when the rain of jinxes had stopped and they had started to wear off.

“Yeah, mate,” Blaise agreed, “what was that?”

Hermione sat up, playing with her wand in her hand. “You all have some serious nerves, forcing us into that dream. Ever heard something called _consent_?” she growled.

“Did it at least work?” George asked, sounding like an enthusiastic entrepreneur waiting for feedback on his latest product. “We weren't quite sure about the mixture.”

“Yeah, this was still all a bit experimental; we never before based it on an existing book. But we wouldn't have let them use it if there was any real danger for you, Hermione,” Fred added, his face still showing the effects of Draco's Pimple Jinx.

“Thanks for your concern,” Draco retorted sarcastically, now sitting up as well, one of his hands coming to rest on Hermione's back, where he would brush small circles on the patch of free skin on her lower back. “It did work, but this has seriously gone too far, even for Slytherin standards.”

“Mate, we were growing desperate, you two drove us crazy with your blatant denial,” Blaise tried to explain. “Seriously, you were so deep in denial-”

“-we didn't know what else could help. Sorry, we maybe should've found a way to do it _with_ your consent,” Ginny said, sounding genuinely sorry.

“There's another thing we found that went too far,” Draco continued. With a smile, he noticed how Hermione reacted to his hands drawing circles on her lower back – her eyes had a distant gaze for a moment, as her mind seemed to focus on his touch, until she shook her head to return her focus to their friends.

“Yes, he's right. I mean, _Tonks_ , really?! Whose brilliant idea was that? And we even had to through the whole story up to where Draco was almost sacrificed. Your note said nothing about that...”

“Tonks?” Draco asked quietly while their friends suspiciously looked at each other, with everyone shrugging at everyone else.

Hermione nodded, smiling softly at him. “She hated her first name, so we called her Tonks.” She breathed in deeply, and closed her eyes for another moment. “Higher, please.”

“Never knew that,” he replied, noticing how she was again concentrating hard not to lose her focus completely to his caresses just yet. Oh, there are so many ways to cherish her that he wanted to try as soon as they were finally alone, and he couldn't wait much longer to show her those ways. He placed a kiss on her cheek, and let his hand wander up her back a bit. “What you say if we continue this at my place?”

“Hey, we don't know how Tonks ended up in that dream, or why you had to go through the whole story–” Fred started, shrugging apologetically.

“Yes, it was supposed to be over when Hermione brings the dust to the village,” George continued, “but like we said, it is still something we experiment with, so maybe that was some sort of glitch.”

“We're just glad that it did work in the end-”

“It's not about the outcome, Potter, but _how_ you did it. As I said, even low for Slytherin standards...”

“Yes, and Slytherins do have some pretty low standards,” Hermione added with a teasing smile, before placing a kiss on Draco's cheek. “Bed company excepted,” she added in a husky whisper.

“I'd love to show you some of my standards,” he whispered into her ear, noticing how she shivered in delight, though still trying to keep focused.

“You all are so going to pay for this, a-and be sure that we will come up with something-”

“-nasty,” Draco finished the sentence with a smirk, and then gently nibbled her earlobe. Merlin, he would have loved nothing more in that moment than to just go down on her neck and attend to her soft spot there until she would forget everything else.

“Anything,” Ron said, sounding surprisingly strained, as he tried not to see what Draco was doing to Hermione, or rather her reaction to it; he cleared his throat. “Ending your denial is worth it.”

“Draco, stop for a moment, please,” Hermione begged quietly. “S-So, you all would for example clean my flat for two months? Without using magic?” Hermione replied, shortly amused about the eagerness with which they agreed, and then see the relief on their faces crushed.

“Not nasty enough,” Draco commented, eager to continue his attention to her ear, but kept it restricted to his hand for the moment. “But let's forget them now, and let them guess what we might come up with. They have definitely interrupted us long enough now, don't you think?” He kissed her jaw demonstratively.

Closing her eyes again, she nodded. “Definitely.”

Most of their friends got the hint and started to leave the room again, understanding that they should leave them alone now. “You can have that room for as long as you want, just be careful with protection, you know?” Blaise said with a wink when he left the room as the last of their friends, closing the door behind them.

“Finally!” Hermione exclaimed when they were alone, leaning back. “Gods, you were driving me halfway crazy with your nibbling.”

“I noticed,” he replied, teasing her, and leaned over her to continue what he had been doing before. “Though at my place, there would be no meddling friends waiting outside for us to do it.”

She moaned when he finally reached that soft spot on her neck. “God, that feels so good.” Her hands started to tug at his shirt wanting to get underneath it. “D-Do you think we could just Apparate out? I mean t-to your place. Gods, don't stop!”

Grinning at her reaction, he repeated what he had been doing, wanting to hear her moan again. “Yes, we should be able to Apparate out, but my place has wards to keep our friends out.”

“I d-don't care if we have to land outside, I just don't want them next door.” She gasped when he let his hand slip underneath her shirt, roaming over the skin on her belly, until he reached her breasts. “Or we could go to my place, I- Oh my God! - I don't have wards placed yet.”

“Your place then, I can't wait to get you out of those clothes and show you how much I really, really adore you.”

“All right then. But now stop for a moment and hold on tight, or I'll get us both Splinched.” And after a short laugh, she Apparated them both out.

 

**END**


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